Jason Pierre-Paul Reports To Giants
2:54pm: According to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network (Twitter link), the Giants will want any contract with Pierre-Paul to feature incentives for playing-time and production. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter), if JPP thinks he’s getting his full remaining salary guaranteed, he has been misled.
Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why Pierre-Paul probably should have signed his franchise tender weeks – or months – ago.
1:42pm: As expected, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has reported to the Giants for the first time since the 2015 regular season began. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that JPP arrived at the team’s facility earlier this afternoon.
We’ve heard from Cole and other reporters over the last 24 hours that Pierre-Paul and his camp are confident that the veteran pass rusher is healthy enough to sign his franchise tender and start playing for the Giants immediately. However, there were rumblings before the season that JPP thought he was close to returning, and the team disagreed at that point, sending him back home to recover further. So we’ll have to wait to see what the club thinks this time around.
A physical exam of Pierre-Paul’s hand looms large, and Cole tweets that Dr. Robert Hotchkiss, the Giants’ team doctor, will evaluate JPP to see if he’ll be able to play with a glove on that injured hand.
If the club decides that the 26-year-old is ready, it may be as simple as having him sign his franchise tender and getting him back on the field. However, there may be some additional issues to sort out — Pierre-Paul will want assurances that the Giants won’t place him on the non-football injury list, where the team could withhold his pay, and the club may want to reduce JPP’s 2015 salary in exchange for that concession.
NFC Notes: Levy, Lions, JPP, Hardy
A week after undergoing surgery on his troublesome hip, Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is still contemplating trying to return this year, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Asked why he isn’t shutting it down for the season, Levy replied, “We’re not mathematically out of it yet, are we?”
Of course, no team is mathematically out of the postseason yet, and no team will be for several more weeks. But with the Lions in the NFC North cellar at 1-6, the playoffs seem awfully unlikely, so I’d be surprised if Levy doesn’t land on IR within the next couple weeks.
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- After another disappointing loss in Week 7, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said his team isn’t making any changes to its coaching staff this week, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- If Jason Pierre-Paul were to sign his franchise tender with the Giants, and the team placed him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the season, it would likely result in the NFLPA filing a protest over the move, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The union’s goal would presumably be to get Pierre-Paul free agent status, rather than having the Giants keep him under team control.
- While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones supported Greg Hardy publicly, there are people within the organization that view the defensive end’s behavior as “juvenile,” says Cole in a separate video. The team seems invested in Hardy for this season, but Cole thinks that the former Panther will have to change his attitude in order for his time in Dallas to last more than just one year.
- The Falcons worked out former Tuskegee linebacker Quavon Taylor last Friday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hardy, Kerrigan
Earlier this morning, we passed along the latest updates on injured Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and his franchise tag, but there are plenty of other items from out of the NFC East to round up, so let’s dive right in…
- Appearing on WIP in Philadelphia today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said that he isn’t looking for a new kicker and doesn’t anticipate making any major changes during his team’s bye (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It’s no surprise that the Eagles are sticking with Caleb Sturgis — he missed one field goal attempt in last night’s loss, but it came from 50 yards out.
- After Greg Hardy‘s outburst on the Cowboys‘ sideline during Sunday’s loss to the Giants, Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com writes that Dallas should be suspending the volatile defensive end, rather than enabling him.
- Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan fractured a bone in his right hand during Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, and may have to undergo surgery this week, according to Andrew Walker of Redskins.com. However, with the team’s bye coming up in Week 8, there’s a chance Kerrigan won’t have to miss any time.
- Many NFL observers were shocked when the Giants signed wide receiver and special-teamer Dwayne Harris to a $17MM contract back in March, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post outlines, Harris’ kick return touchdown on Sunday against his old team might have helped save New York’s season.
Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul
Injured defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is expected to visit the Giants this week, probably on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Of course, JPP was considered likely to report to the team last week, and that didn’t happen, so we’ll have to wait to confirm that this is the week that the two sides reunite.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants on either Monday or Tuesday, with the intent to sign his franchise tender and return to the field. However, Cole cautions that the standout pass rusher would have to pass a physical from the club.
Per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who also expects JPP to report by Tuesday, the situation is still “murky” and may not be close to a resolution. As Graziano writes, the 26-year-old believes his injured hand has recovered enough for him to play immediately, but the team may not see it that way, and there’s no guarantee New York even clears him to play at all this season.
With Pierre-Paul’s franchise tender still unsigned, he likely wouldn’t put pen to paper unless he receives assurances that the Giants won’t place him on the non-football injury list — if he lands on NFI, he wouldn’t necessarily be paid. For New York to make that promise though, the team may need JPP to agree to reduce his salary for 2015, so there are a handful of moving parts in play.
Before Pierre-Paul and the Giants determine their next course of action, the team will have to once again examine his hand. The last time New York’s doctors got a look at that injured hand was in early September, just before the regular season began, so it’s possible the club will be pleased with the progress JPP has made over the last seven weeks. If so, then the two sides would engage in negotiations about a potential return — if not, the former first-round pick will probably remain unsigned for a little while longer.
Sunday Roundup: Mallett, Trades, Guion
Ryan Mallett missed the Texans‘ team charter to Miami Saturday and had to make the trip via commercial airline, per Karen Warren of The Houston Chronicle. Mallett is in uniform and will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback today, as expected–the Texans do not have another quarterback on the roster–but he will certainly be fined, and his future with the club has never been more in doubt. Mallett, who also missed a training camp practice this year–he said his cell phone battery died, so his cell phone alarm would not go off–is due $2.5MM in 2016, the second year of his two-year contract, but Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle believes the team will cut ties with Mallett after the 2015 season (Twitter link). If Tom Savage was not on injured reserve, Warren says it would not be a surprise if Mallett was cut today.
Now for some more links from around the league:
- The Bears‘ Matt Forte, the 49ers‘ Vernon Davis, and the Falcons‘ Roddy White have been the biggest names included in this year’s trade rumors, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) does not believe any of the three will be traded, and he sets forth his rationale for why each will stay with their current clubs for the remainder of 2015.
- According to Rapoport (via Twitter), there are three notable college coaches who would be open to an NFL head coaching job after this season: UCLA’s Jim Mora, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin. In a separate tweet, Rapoport notes that NFL GMs believe Kelly would be an especially good fit with the Giants, if Big Blue has a head coaching vacancy after 2015.
- Earlier this year, Johnny Manziel was saying and doing all the right things, and he had earned considerable praise for his on- and off-field behavior and for apparently turning his life around. But after an alcohol-related incident that culminated in an encounter with police several weeks ago–an incident for which he will not be facing any charges–questions about his future in the league have resurfaced. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Browns officials had been bracing for some sort of negative publicity, as Manziel’s demeanor and dedication had taken a turn for the worse after Josh McCown returned from injury to reclaim the starting quarterback job from Manziel, who led the club for one week. Some within the organization have been hoping to part ways with Manziel for some time, and this latest development will give that contingent a little more ammunition, as they have further proof that Manziel is not a team-first type of player.
- Packers DT Letroy Guion‘s recent legal troubles have been well-documented, but according to Michael Cohen and John Diedrich of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Guion has faced domestic violence charges as well, which had previously gone unreported. In two of the three cases brought against Guion, the charges were dropped, and in the third, Guion paid restitution to avoid additional penalties. He has been accused of stalking and of hitting the mother of his child in the jaw. Those incidents occurred from 2011 to 2013 when Guion was with the Vikings, and if it turns out he never reported the charges to the club, he could face further discipline from the league.
- The Bears are actively scouting college quarterbacks as they prepare for the post-Jay Cutler era, and Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune examines two potential targets, California’s Jared Goff and Michigan State’s Connor Cook, in detail.
- Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post examines in detail how Broncos GM John Elway has methodically constructed Denver’s defense, which has been the league’s best in 2015.
East Notes: Bradford, Wake, Harvin
As part of the trade that sent Nick Foles to St. Louis and Sam Bradford to Philadelphia, the Eagles had a chance to acquire a 2016 draft choice from the Rams if certain conditions were met, conditions that the clubs did not reveal when the trade was consummated. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, those conditions pertain only to Bradford’s playing time. Once he plays 50% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps, Philadelphia will receive no compensation. If he plays fewer than 50% of the team’s snaps, the Eagles would garner a fourth-round pick in 2016 (had he played no snaps, the team would have been in line for a third-round selection in 2016).
With the season’s midway point fast approaching, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Eagles will not recover a 2016 draft choice from the Rams. Despite Bradford’s struggles this season, head coach Chip Kelly has remained steadfast in his support of his signal-caller, and although he could acquire an additional draft pick by reverting to Mark Sanchez now, all indications are that Bradford will remain under center for the foreseeable future.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- When former Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was fired, a great number of the schematic complexities that had handcuffed some of the club’s best defensive players went with him. Relying more on individual matchups than scheme, Miami’s defense enjoyed its best game of the season last week, and defensive end Cameron Wake led the way with a whopping four sacks after recording zero in the team’s first four games. Of course, Wake won’t put up that kind of production every week, but if he goes on the type of tear he is capable of, he could be in for a big payday. Wake is scheduled to make $8.4MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, but he has significant escalators tied to his sack production. As La Canfora writes, “If [Wake] achieves 10-12 sacks he earns $750,000 more in base salary next year, while 13-14 sacks nets him an additional $1.75MM and 15 sacks earns him $3MM. Should he lead the league in sacks, the defensive lineman receives $5MM in additional base salary.”
- In keeping with reports from earlier this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Percy Harvin is not contemplating retirement at the moment. If his hip is healthy enough to allow him, Harvin will play for the Bills this season. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News adds (via Twitter) that Buffalo wants Harvin to play and that the team does not want to place him on IR, as Harvin would then keep his $3MM signing bonus plus the remainder of his base pay.
- Giants tackle Will Beatty began practicing on Wednesday, which means he now has a little less than three weeks to be activated from the team’s PUP list or be placed on season-ending injured reserve. Per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, Beatty appears to be in good physical shape and is trending towards a return. He could suit up for the Giants when they take on the Saints next week, and with rookie Ereck Flowers just settling in to the left tackle position, the team could ask Beatty to shift to right tackle, especially since current right tackle Marshall Newhouse has been inconsistent in 2015. Beatty, who last played right tackle in his rookie season in 2009, has been receptive to the possibility.
NFC Links: Kaepernick, Cardinals, JPP
Some assorted notes from around the NFC…
- Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman could envision the Eagles trading for embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick following the season (via Twitter). The 49ers signal-caller has previously shown the skills that Chip Kelly covets, and Freeman believes (via Twitter) the coach is convinced that he can fix any quarterback.
- Furthermore, Freeman tweets that scouts are attributing the 49ers offensive issues on the offensive line and coaching staff, not the quarterback.
- It could be in the 49ers best interest in bench Kaepernick, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The quarterback’s contract calls for more than $31MM in guaranteed money for injury, meaning the organization would be in quite the financial hole if Kaepernick were to go down.
- Over the past few years, the Cardinals have added some big names during the first weeks of free agency. However, Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says the team should be commended for the under-the-radar moves that have often come later in the summer. Jermaine Gresham and Chris Johnson were among the Cardinals’ later additions this past summer, with Karlos Dansby, John Abraham and Tommy Kelly being previous examples.
- Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) has serious doubts as to whether Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will return this season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/21/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Carrington Byndom, DT Olsen Pierre (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Demontre Hurst (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Kapri Bibbs (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Sean McGrath (press release), LB Amarlo Herrera (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Jordan Leslie, QB Jeff Tuel (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com)
- Cut: S Craig Loston
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Jonathan Dowling (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald)
- Cut: RB Bronson Hill
New England Patriots
- Signed: FB Joey Iosefa (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald); OL Brennan Williams (Twitter link via team)
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Adam Gettis (press release)
- Cut: T Xavier Proctor
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G Michael Huey, T Andrew McDonald (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com)
- Cut: QB Brad Sorensen
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OLB Markus Pierce-Brewster (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com)
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Giants announced that they have signed cornerback Leon McFadden off the Cardinals‘ practice squad, as Michael Eisen of Giants.com writes. McFadden, 5-10 and 199 pounds, has played in 23 regular-season games with two starts for Cleveland and San Francisco. He has recorded 21 tackles (13 solo), one pass defensed and six special teams tackles.
- The Jaguars promoted running back Joe Banyard to the active roster, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
Giants Notes: JPP, Beatty, Coughlin
Here’s a quick look at the Giants and an update on the status of their star defensive end..
- When asked for an update on Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, “I wish I knew,” according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). When asked if he’d be coming in today (Wednesday), Coughlin said “Not that I know of.”
- Despite previous indications to the contrary, JPP did not come to the tri-state area on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The defensive end is still expected to meet with Giants doctors at some point this week, however.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that there are no set plans for a JPP visit with the Giants yet. It may happen, but it may not be this week and it could drag on until next week.
- Coughlin told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter), that tackle Will Beatty (PUP) practiced on Wednesday. The Giants now have three weeks from now to activate him or put him on injured reserve.